Today we’d like to introduce you to Suanay Hernandez
Hi Suanay, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been obsessed with magazines for as long as I can remember—from Seventeen and CosmoGirl to Mad Magazine and vintage Playboys. I used to make collages and decorate my room with foldout posters. Creativity has always been a part of me, whether through photography, painting, writing, or videography. But breaking into the creative industry hasn’t been easy. Today, it often feels driven by money, connections, or followers. After facing countless rejections, including a final one from a popular food blog for a social media role, I decided to take matters into my own hands.
During COVID, I published a poetry book, and that experience reignited my passion for publishing. I began looking at magazines through a new lens—focusing on layouts and the stories they told. I’ve also always been deeply passionate about food media, so I merged my two loves and collaborated with local creatives and food lovers to launch UndrBelly.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some of the biggest challenges I faced were logistical—starting an LLC, choosing a name for the magazine, staying organized, and even figuring out how to actually create a magazine. I had to learn new programs like Illustrator and Procreate, and I had to improve my video editing skills to a more professional level. Reaching out to strangers for collaborations or funding was way outside my comfort zone. I had to prove to people beyond my circle that what I was building had real value for the community.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
undrbelly is a quarterly magazine that showcases food culture that locals hold close to their hearts (and stomachs). highlighting the creatives, chefs and home cooks that make the local food scene so unique, undrbelly focuses on the ideas, issues and context that other outlets miss.
undrbelly further highlights its editorial subjects through youtube videos, instagram reels and tiktok videos, as well as other community events such as food drives to help fight local food insecurity or potlucks/dinners.
bottom line: undrbelly is made by locals, for locals.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One childhood memory that stands out is when I gathered my friends to try a recipe from my first cookbook. My best friend brought a videographer to film me cooking. I made gnocchi from scratch and chicken saltimbocca, but my friends were too immature to take it seriously. Nothing came of it, and I have no idea where that video ended up.
Pricing:
- Magazine: $30
- T shirt: $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://undrbelly.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/undrbellymag
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@undrbellytv?si=1rA6cHVfRt2Y2bIz
Image Credits
Suanay Hernandez and Vanessa Coy
